The Words Of Tedy Bruschi Stuck...

Words can strike you at any time. Occasionally a person will say something and it means nothing in the exact moment, but days or weeks later the words come flooding back with full force and meaning.

Well, that happened to me today.

During my brief 2-mile run Monday afternoon, Tedy Bruschi popped into my head.

(Note: Tedy was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame on Monday night! YAY! Go Tedy!)

During one of the few times I was in the presence of Tedy during the Boston Marathon events with Tedy's Team, Tedy made a great speech.

He went on to talk about how the Boston Marathon itself was our party. That everything leading up to the Start Line was the work. We put in the blood, sweat and tears to make it to the Start Line.

So all that is left is to enjoy it - to soak up every moment of the run and PARTY!!

It meant something the moment he said it - so much that I started crying - but it truly didn't click until yesterday.

As I fret and worry about the upcoming Sprint Triathlon on Sunday and the Dopey Challenge in January, I need to let go of all of that when I hit the Start Line.

And it's freakin' spot on! I mean seriously ... and in all parts of life not just fitness-wise!

There have been races in the past where I can't tell you what the course was like or the spectators. Why? Because I was too focused on time to take in the experience.

Now as I push myself to new limits it's time to stop and smell the roses. During races it's time to ENJOY what I've spent so much time prepping for.

The hours of training are done and all that's left is the fun part - the event itself.

Which brings us to Sunday aka my first Sprint Triathlon.

I've been freaking out about it for awhile now. Why? Not so sure. I know I can do all of the elements and have been working on doing them in a row with minimal rest (aka BRICK workout).

But I think it is the unknown that really gets me. I don't know what to expect in a triathlon because I've never done one.

Well, that is the EXACT reason to "take it all in" on Sunday!

You only have one first triathlon, right?

Well, I won't have any rockin' music during the race or party favors, but I will have Tedy's words reminding me to PARTY LIKE IT'S 1999!!

(Okay, I paraphrased that last part!)

***

Do you agree with Tedy's thought process? Is your race your party?

Three Things Thursday

Three new products I've tried out recently and am digging: 1) Arctic Ease (Value $15.95 per wrap)

What is it?

ARCTIC EASE® WRAPS ARE AN EASY EFFECTIVE TREATMENT THAT PROVIDES HOURS OF COOL RELIEF FROM PAIN AND INFLAMMATION WITHOUT THE DISCOMFORT OF ICE OR FROZEN GEL PACKS. IN ADDITION TO ELIMINATING THE IRRITATION AND ODOR FROM MENTHOL PATCHES.

I first heard about these wraps from Colleen at TheFitBee.com in April 2012 at her virtual run.

I LOVED being able to ice my knee without being tied down to a bed or couch. I wrapped it up and continued about my day as normal. It was awesome! PLUS, it is reusable (4-8 times per wrap). Say wha? I know!! :)

You just return the wrap to the pouch or plastic container, add 2 tbsps of water, reseal keep at room temperature and it will be good to use multiple times! It makes the $15.95 per wrap price tag a little easier to swallow when you know you can reuse it.

A couple of months back I reached out to Arctic Ease to see if I could score a sample so I could try them again and tell you all about them.

They were nice enough to send me 2 wraps - blue and red. At first I thought they were different types of wraps, but I think one was old packaging and one was new because everything else on the bottles read exactly the same.

The nice things about these wraps is that they can be used on ankles, knees, elbows, shoulders, wrists, feet and lower backs. Additionally, their website gives you step by step instructions on how to apply the wrap depending on the area of the body and the pain.

As the package states:

ARCTIC EASE administers therapeutic cold compression while conforming to the affected site. It'll stay in one place, even if you don't. It's suitable for sprains, arthritis, minor burns, bruises and muscle craps.

And besides being functional, it comes in six colors so you can coordinate with your outfit. ;)

(Note: I am wearing the red one on my right knee as I type this!)

***

2) Shower Pill (Value - $10 for a 10 pack)

What is it?

ShowerPill™ is the hygiene supplement designed to keep you fresh and clean while on-the-go. This large premium antibacterial body wipe is individually packaged to be discrete, yet versatile and big on performance.

So I had no idea what a hygiene supplement is so thankfully they explained it further on their website:

Just touched that doorknob? You should run to the sink, but grab hand sanitizer instead. Finished that tuna sandwich and forgot your toothbrush? Better pop a breath mint. Worked up a sweat during your midday workout? The ShowerPill™ Athletic Body Wipe™ will keep you fresh so that you can stay at your best all day long.

I was scrolling through Twitter the other night and all of a sudden the twitter handle - @ShowerPill - and was instantly intrigued. Many of you know I usually work out in between Weight Watchers meetings and I am always rushing to squeeze a rinse off before interacting with people. :P So I thought I had to give this a shot.

Shower Pill sent me a couple wipes to try and we IMMEDIATELY put them to good use. Why? Well, my wife couldn't shower for at least 48 hours after knee surgery last week and it was about 100 degrees out so we needed to help her sweaty self out. We used a Shower Pill wipe and it worked like a charm. Since she gave it a positive review, it was my turn.

On Tuesday, I had to fit in a run between meetings and was running late (shocker!) so it was Shower Pill to the rescue. I was pleasantly surprised. I didn't smell at all like I had just been covered in sweat a mere five minutes earlier.

Would I use them after every single workout, probably not. But, I will be keeping them on hand in my house and gym bag for emergencies. I'd rather use one of these than show up smelly. You never want to be the smelly kid. :P

Also, read how Shower Pill was invented - I found it entertaining! :)

***

3) ROAD ID App (Value - free)

To all my readers here that exercise outside (walking, jogging, prancercising, cycling, etc): I highly recommend you download the FREE Road ID iPhone app! It is still in BETA, but I downloaded it last weekend (find it here).

We all know I never leave home without my ROAD ID bracelet, which has contact information on it as well. BUT, the app will contact people FOR you.

Stock Photo From ROAD ID

You input up to 5 phone numbers into the app and the app will contact those people when you head out on a workout AND if you stop in one place for too long.

So on Saturday when I headed out for a run, I had to try it out. So the main screen allows you to note how long you will be going out for, which type of activity you are doing, etc.

Stock Photo From ROAD ID

I inputted just my wife's information and as I hit "start" on the app she received the following text:

Cool!

So on Sunday, we wanted to text the "alert" feature so I went out for a run and told my wife that at the end I would keep my phone in one place for 5 minutes while I stretched - just so she didn't get worried something really happened. (Especially since she is laid up with a bum knee :P)

And here is what happened:

Once I was in one spot for 4 minutes, this timer started going off saying I had 1 minute left. It was LOUD. I could hear the alarm going off even with my headphones on, but I had to let it countdown. Once the timer hit zero, my wife received the text on the right.

I think this can be one amazing app and something I will definitely use in the future. Someone online mentioned theirs stopped running when they took a picture, but I took 3 pictures during the run and ROAD ID kept counting away. :)

Unfortunately it is just available for the iPhone, but I'm sure it will expand once it is out of BETA.

***

Have a Happy Thursday!! :)

Weekly Workout Wind Up (7/18-24/13)

Unfortunately this has been a mainly running focused week. With my wife's knee surgery on Friday, I have been on nurse duty so trying to sneak in what I can when I can. But I can say that I ran every day this week - I can't remember the last time I did that! :) Bring on the Dopey Challenge!! BUT I did cross a huge running milestone: I passed the 600-mile run mark for 2013. My goal for this year is to run 1,000 miles and I think I will do it, especially if I keep on this rate! :)

*Knock on wood* No injuries ... Ain't no one got time for that! :P

Thursday, July 18: 5k-Run

Friday, July 19: 5.19-Mile Run

Saturday, July 20: 5-Mile Run

Sunday, July 21: 55-Min Spin and 4-Mile Run

Monday, July 22: 4-Mile Run

Tuesday, July 23: 3-Mile Run

Wednesday, July 24: 3-Mile Run and 1,800-Meter Swim

This has been one tough week with high temperatures and tons of humidity in Boston, but you just have to keep pushing through. Why? Because you never know what weather conditions will be like on race day!

What To Do With My Boston Marathon Space Blanket?

I was sooo looking forward to getting my first space blanket on April 15 following completion of the Boston Marathon. Now for those that don't know the space blanket as many people refer to it is the low-weight, low-bulk blanket made of heat-reflective thin plastic sheeting that many races give out to runners once completing a race.

Before Boston, I had run two marathons and a number of other races and NEVER gotten a blanket. I don't really know what my fixation was on the blanket, but I wanted in on the action. :P

So on the morning of April 15, I thought how I was just hours away from FINALLY being in the cool space blanket club.

But, as many know, the events of April 15 changed the normal post-race jubilation.

And that space blanket that I longed for because more like a life vest.

When I finally reconnected my family and we made our way home, it took me hours to remove the blanket from my shoulders. Once I finally did, I set up my little Boston Marathon corner of the living room so I could keep an eye on it.

This little memorial if you will stayed in tact in the corner of my living room until the roses died three weeks later.

But for some reason, I still couldn't move the blanket. So yes, three months later and the blanket still adorns a TV tray in my living room.

Now I need to move on. I need to remove the blanket from the TV tray. But, what do I do with it?

I CAN'T throw it away. Okay, I can physically throw it away, but emotionally I cannot.

So who has suggestions for me? What can I do to keep this space blanket around?

I may not PR again in 2013...

... and that okay with me. But why?

And how am I oddly okay with that?

In case you are new to my blog, I haven't always been a runner. In fact, for most of my life I loathed running and tried to avoid it at all costs.

I finally gave it a go in January 2005 and long story short: got hooked, made it from running 1/2 a mile to completing my first marathon in September 2006 then got injured and stopped running until probably 2010.

In December 2010, I got a herniated disc and had back surgery in January 2012. I was sidelined from running (just after picking it back up) until June 2011.

And then...

... I was hooked.

I started signing up for as many races as I could and as my body healed and the weight came off. It seemed as if I PR'ed race after race.

It quickly became an addiction - the sweet taste of a shiny PR at the end of a race was all I could think about.

But, I was out on a training run for the upcoming Dopey Challenge in January 2014...

(For those that don't know that is running 4 races in 4 days for a total of 48.6 miles in Disneyworld)

... I thought about my training plan. How I am now incorporating five races (four half marathons and one full marathon) into the plan.

(Who the heck ever saw that coming - that I would use a half or full marathon race as a training run!)

I realized I may or may not run those races at full speed because they are going to be training runs.

Will I see how I feel on those days? Sure.

Can I change my mind and go hard at any point in time? Of course.

But, now my goal isn't to get a new shiny PR each race out. It is thinking about the long-term prize: completing the Dopey Challenge and proudly wearing the six race medals it brings around my neck.

I need to re-frame and instead of looking in the short term - taking each race on their own - I need to look at the long term - how will this race get me closer to my goal.

It's weird for me to say that.

But for the girl who once struggled to run 1/2 a mile ... this is an un-freakin-believable post to write! :)

***

Have you had to re-frame your race goals to keep your eye on a long-term prize?

Dani Dishes 7-22-13

On this episode of Dani Dishes, I talk about the heatwave breaking, thanking you for your well wishes for my partner and joining my first DietBet. You can join me too at https://www.dietbet.com/games/19977. Product Of The Week - Yoplait 100 Calorie Greek Yogurt

VERT Sasquatch Trail Race

I am not a trail runner. Okay glad I put that reminder out there. :P Last July I attempted my first "sprint" trail run - the VERT Race Series Sasquatch Race, which is a 2.35 mile run through the Middlesex Fells area.

It was SUCH an awesome experience that I jumped at the opportunity to run it again this year ... especially since I would be returning for my second stint as the Captain of Team Slumbrew.

How AWESOME are our team jerseys??

It was a hot and sweaty day on the morning of the race (Sunday July 14th), but I knew that it would be worth it. Plus, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to finally debut my BEER knee socks. :)

The race kicked off at 10am, but we had to be there by 8:45 to hand out the team jerseys. This was a huge day for us as it was our one-year anniversary of Team Slumbrew coming into existence. :)

Go us!

Thankfully most of the team picked their jerseys up in time for us to be in position for Wave 1 of the race - all teams were put in the same wave (1 of 3).

Eddie, the race director, let me pick my bib # - yes I geeked out and felt special. So why did I pick 82?

So I could do this of course...

Yup! I'm a giant dork! But we all know that.

I had ZERO expectations for this race. I just wanted to go out there and have fun - which I knew would happen either way.

Last year I had no idea what to expect with the race, but thankfully with a year under my belt I knew there were some hills involved so I could conserve my energy. :P

As we headed through the woods, I made sure to cheer and yell for all of my fellow Slumbrew teammates especially our young teenage teammate Zach - who was totally kicking my butt by the way!

I love a good action shot (photo thanks to VERT Race Series)

The course was a little over 2 miles long, but somehow felt longer. I think because I was working so hard on not falling. I remembered what Sarah had taught me the week before (during our 4+ mile train run): look 5 feet ahead, keep your arms out wider for balance and keep your legs behind your knees when running.

I knew to keep an eye out for a downhill "chute" which spit you out back on the field where we started for the final leg of the race. I looked down at my Garmin and say 1.9 miles - I knew the chute had to be close. And before I knew it, BAM! there it was. :)

There were a couple people on my tail so I tried to give everything I had in the final yards of the race. Unfortunately one that I had passed on the final hill came back to beat me at the Finish. Grr... haha! JK! :)

I ended up finishing 16 seconds SLOWER than 2012, but I was okay with that. I felt it was hotter than last year, but that was the big debate among participants this year. The course was marked as 2.35 miles, but my Garmin clocked it at 2.21. Either way it was just over 2 miles of FUN.

Every time I do this race, it makes me want to do work more trail running into my training plans. Now I just need someone to show me where to go and accompany me. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

After I finished, I loaded up on water and headed over to Stone Zoo for the post-race party! Gotta love a race that ends with a huge party full of local craft beer. Am I right?

The post-race festivities include local craft brewers (Slumbrew, Pretty Things, Notch and Night Shift), pizza and a dance off ... what more do you need?

A couple of my beautiful friends/teammates Kim & Vicki

Last year, our team had just 12 runners where this year we tripled in size to 36!

Aren't we hot?

Even though the wife couldn't run this year, she still came out to support the team ... and show off her sweet shades!

Eddie has been generous enough to let me give away an entry to each of the Cambridge 5k series races this year. Megan Sullivan won the entry to the Sasquatch race and we were able to meet up post-race!! :)

Congrats again Megan and so glad you were able to join us!! :)

In the end I finished 197th out of 858 overall and 43rd among females. Not too shabby in my humble opinion. And I was the third member of Team Slumbrew to finish.

Will I be back next year? You bet your booty I will.

***

Have you ever participated in a trail run? Do you enjoy a good brew after a run?

Weekly Workout Wind Up (7/11-17/13)

My week goes SOOO much better when I have training plans to follow than when I try "winging it!"  

Thursday, July 11: Rest Day

Friday, July 12: 5-Mile Run

Saturday, July 13: 2-Hour Bike Ride ... cut short because of a flat tire

Sunday, July 14: VERT Race Series Sasquatch Trail Race

Monday, July 15: Pure Barre class and 50-Min Spinning

Tuesday, July 16: Pure Barre class and 4-Mile Run

Wednesday, July 17: 4-Mile Run, 1400-Meter Swim and Pure Barre

This has been one tough week with high temperatures and tons of humidity in Boston, but you just have to keep pushing through. Why? Because you never know what weather conditions will be like on race day!

#TryChocoMilk Challenge

Okay okay okay ... so you're telling me I get to drink chocolate milk (low-fat still cool) after a workout and my performance will improve? SIGN ME UP!

When I was at Fitbloggin last month, I met a couple of the wonderful ladies that work for Got Chocolate Milk's Team Refuel and they told me about a new challenge hitting the twitterverse-Facebookland-social media world.

Challenge? Social media?

Yup. I'm in. Please tell me more.

It's called the #TryChocoMilk pledge, which consists of 21 days of challenges. That's right folks a different challenge each day and you post a picture online using the hashtag.

So how does one sign up?

Seems pretty simple, right? I think I can get behind this.

Will you join me? If you're interested then let's share the good part ... the 21 challenges.

Oh and did you see how the best part of this is that you get to have low-fat chocolate milk after each and every one? :)

I'm in!!

If you would like to follow my progress with the #TryChocoMilk pledge, you can find me on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook ... with Day 1 being today!!

So are you in???

***

PS I am a July finalist to make Got Chocolate Milk's ‪#‎TeamRefuel‬ again!! I am vying for $500 in sponsorship money and top notch training gear, along with the potential for free race entries to Rock 'n' Roll Marathon Series and IRONMAN!!

Voting is today to August 9 at Midnight ET. Folks that love me can vote once a day (per device: phone, computer, etc).

Each vote also garners a $1 donation to the Challenged Athletes Foundation!

You can vote daily here.

THANKS!!! :)

Dani Dishes 7-16-13

On this episode of Dani Dishes, I celebrate a week of "Progress Not Perfection" when it comes to my getting #Back2Basics challenge and I'm happy about it! :) I also mention one of my favorite local brews - Slumbrew - check 'em out. Product Of The Week Fiber One 90 Calorie Cinnamon Coffee Cake - http://www.fiberone.com/products/brownies/new-90-calorie-cinnamon-coffee-cake